2025 Climate Resilience Grant Program
Grants up to $50,000 will support conservation and climate adaptation projects.
Program Overview
The Nature Conservancy is pleased to announce a fifth round of funding available in New York through our Climate Resilience Grant Program. The program supports conservation and climate adaptation projects, including land protection, led by local organizations, with the goal of increasing resilience to climate change for people and nature. Program grants will help local organizations with fee and easement acquisitions of lands that connect with important floodplains and shorelines that mitigate flooding and erosion. The grants will also provide funding for organizational capacity-building, planning and strategy development. We will prioritize projects that include engagement with and benefits to local communities, particularly in underserved and frontline communities.
Resilient Land Mapping Tool
The Nature Conservancy’s interactive Resilient Land Mapping Tool identifies climate-resilient sites needed to sustain biodiversity and ecological functions into the future. This road map of “core forests and connectors” shows where plant and animal species have the best chance to move away from growing climate threats and find new places to call home. Working together to protect and sustain these lands is critical for a climate-resilient future.
**Use of this resource is not a requirement of this program—it is provided here for informational purposes. We hope you will use it when evaluating the conservation value of current or future projects.**
PLEASE NOTE: Land acquisition projects that do not intersect with the program’s mapped floodplains and shorelines but do protect the Resilient and Connected Network within New York focal areas (which were previously eligible for this program) should now be submitted through the Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program. If you are unsure of which program to apply to, please reach out to us to discuss your project.
Elk Lake near North Hudson, Adirondack Park, New York
Resilient Floodplains and Shorelines
Natural infrastructure, like floodplains, streams, wetlands, tidal marshes, beaches, dunes and bluffs, help mitigate flooding and erosion. We refer to these features as resilient floodplains and shorelines. They also benefit people and nature by filtering water, recharging groundwater, offering recreational opportunities, providing habitat and enhancing human wellbeing.
New York is experiencing more intense rainfall, erosion and sea level rise. To ensure our communities are resilient to climate change impacts like flooding and erosion, we must plan for future conditions, engage with people affected by flooding, and collaborate with nature to keep people safe and allow nature to adapt. By conserving undeveloped lands along rivers, streams and coasts, we mitigate flooding, preserve migration pathways and habitats, maintain water quality, facilitate the movement of sediment, and protect drinking water and aquifers.
The Climate Resilience Grant Program offers grants for projects and initiatives that support conservation and resiliency planning, build organizational capacity and help develop climate-focused strategies. The program also supports land acquisition projects that:
Maintain natural buffers between people and flooding or erosion, particularly in areas where natural lands are threatened by development,
help lessen harmful impacts to communities from floods,
and make floodplain and shoreline habitats more resilient.
Equitable Conservation and Community Benefits
Conservation organizations must acknowledge the importance of incorporating social equity in their missions, partnerships and projects, and evolve how they work toward better and more equitable outcomes for people and nature.
The Nature Conservancy defines community benefits as the positive outcomes that directly result from, or are included within, conservation projects—as experienced by local communities and people. This is particularly important for historically marginalized communities, communities with limited access to nature, communities experiencing heightened impacts of climate change due to systemic under-investment and poor infrastructure, and Indigenous communities.
Climate Resilience Grant Program funding will prioritize projects that demonstrate meaningful community engagement, work with those historically excluded from conservation, and lead to more equitable benefits for people and communities.
Some examples of community benefits include improved and expanded access to nature, protection of drinking water sources, recreational and nature-based economic opportunities, flood mitigation, engagement in cross-cultural initiatives, or protection of lands that will meet community-defined conservation needs. We encourage projects with meaningful community benefits that are integrated with land protection goals.
See additional context and examples of community benefits described in successful applications from previous years.
A view of Lake Ontario's Lakeview Wildlife Management Area and a barrier bar that protects a wetland.
Who Can Apply
New York-based, non-profit conservation and community organizations, municipalities, local and state agencies, Tribal Nations and affiliated entities are eligible for grants.
Project Types
The Climate Resilience Grant Program invites applications for two types of projects:
Projects that strengthen an organization’s planning, capacity or strategy initiatives that will ultimately lead to actions that will help make species, habitats and communities more resilient to climate change.
Projects that result in the permanent fee or easement acquisition of lands that contain or intersect with floodplains; coastal sediment sources and natural, protective infrastructure like beaches and dunes; or tidal marshes and marsh migration corridors. These Resilient Floodplains and Shorelines features are shown on the program’s online map viewer.
Project Evaluation
Applications will be scored using a rubric that ranks each project according to its capacity to deliver conservation outcomes and community benefits, and by other criteria including feasibility and cost effectiveness. Projects that involve collaboration with other conservation organizations, municipalities or community groups are preferred.
Planning, capacity and strategy projects will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
- Planning: The project develops or updates an existing plan to advance climate resilience and landscape connectivity and/or climate adaptation initiatives in your work.
- Capacity: The project increases your capacity for engaging in land protection projects, conservation planning, climate-focused strategy development and community engagement (e.g., staff professional development, skills enrichment, technology access or skills, grant or financial resources).
- Strategy: The project advances strategies to incorporate or expand equitable climate resilience and connectivity or climate adaptation principles into your work. This may include expanding, innovating or developing new kinds of work for your organization related to climate resilient land protection and equitable conservation, as well as funding for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice training, support for community engagement, development of communication or media campaigns, or convening non-traditional or historically excluded partners.
Projects in this category can include one or more of the above elements. Examples of previously funded projects can be viewed here.
Resilient Floodplains and Shorelines land acquisition projects will be evaluated on the following criteria:
- Size: Total acres of Resilient Floodplains and Shorelines features within the project area (the context of the property to its surroundings will be considered).
- Connectivity: The property adjoins or is near other protected lands or waters and/or is part of a floodplain complex (see online map viewer)
- Timeline: The anticipated closing is before May 1, 2026.
- Collaboration: Evidence of engagement with other organizations, community groups or local governments.
- Community: Project elements that directly engage or help people, especially vulnerable or marginalized groups.
All projects will also be evaluated for:
- Clarity of project goal(s) and how the project increases organizational capacity to achieve climate resilience and connectivity and/or climate adaptation outcomes
- Degree of collaboration with or support from other conservation organizations, community groups, local governments or Tribal Nations
- Feasibility of project and reasonable costs.
For questions about which program to apply for, your project’s eligibility or the application process, please email us at: CCCFund@tnc.org.
Applicant Eligibility Requirements
The program is open to all non-profit 501(c)(3) conservation and community organizations, municipalities, State or Federally Recognized Tribal Nations, and local and state agencies that operate in New York State. Land trusts that are not accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission will need to provide additional information prior to receiving a grant. See FAQ for more details.
Funding Availability and Grant Structure
The total amount of funding available is $500,000. Applicants may apply for up to $50,000 for a project. Grant awards may be less than the amount requested. Projects must be completed within twelve months of the start of the grant term, which is expected to be June of 2025.
Planning, capacity and strategy grant recipients will receive an initial payment followed by two additional payments tied to interim and final reporting requirements.
Land acquisition project awards are disbursed up front, except for any portion of the grant allocated for stewardship and legal defense, which will be provided after closing.
Eligible Project Expenses
Planning, Capacity and Strategy Projects
- Consultant fees related to plan development and protection strategies
- Partner participation, coordination and outreach efforts for regional or landscape-level conservation
- Training on equitable conservation strategies, community engagement or facilitated learning about diversity, equity, inclusion and justice in your organization
- Developing tools that advance or improve collaborative conservation
- GIS training course fees, software licenses and hardware
- Operational costs (e.g., staff salaries and travel expenses associated with a qualifying project)
- Community engagement costs related to project (meeting venue, supplies, travel, facilitation, etc.)
- Match funding
- Indirect costs (not to exceed 20% of the total grant amount)
Land Acquisition Projects
- Capital costs
- Project development (surveys, title search, environmental assessments, etc.)
- Stewardship and legal defense funds
- Community engagement costs related to project (meeting venue, supplies, travel, facilitation, etc.)
- Match funding
- Legal support
- Technical support (e.g., hiring GIS or natural inventory consultants)
- Operational costs (e.g., staff salaries and travel expenses associated with an eligible project)
- Indirect costs (not to exceed 20% of the total grant amount)
Ineligible Expenses
- Lobbying fees and costs
- Lobbying fees and costs
Dates to Know
Application window opens |
November 25, 2024 |
Informational webinar |
January 8, 2025 |
Application window closes |
February 7, 2025 |
Award notification |
May-June, 2025 |
Proposal Requirements
Applications must include:
- All required and relevant fields in the application
- Maps and other project-specific attachments
- Project budget (including budget narrative in the application and a separate budget worksheet)
- Organizational due diligence documentation as noted in the application
Next Steps
Register for the Webinar
An informational webinar on the program will be held January 8.
Apply Now
Applications are due by 11:59 PM on February 7, 2025
Questions?
Check out some frequently asked questions